provident

American  

[prov-i-duhnt] / ˈprɒv ɪ dənt /

adjective

1. having or showing foresight; providing providing carefully for the future.

   Synonyms:

   prudent, cautious

   Antonyms:

   careless

2. characterized by or proceeding from foresight.

   provident care.

3. mindful in making provision (usually followed byof ).

4. economical; frugal; thrifty.

---

provident British  

/ ˈprɒvɪdənt /

adjective

1. providing for future needs

2. exercising foresight in the management of one's affairs or resources

3. characterized by or proceeding from foresight

---

Other Word Forms

• nonprovident adjective
• nonprovidently adverb
• overprovident adjective
• overprovidently adverb
• overprovidentness noun
• providently adverb
• providentness noun
• unprovident adjective
• unprovidently adverb

Etymology

Origin of provident

1400–50; Middle English < Latin prōvident- (stem of prōvidēns ), present participle of prōvidēre to look out for, provide

Example Sentences

When his public provident fund - a government-backed tax-free investment - matured last year, he sought a way to secure his retirement.

From BBC • Mar. 5, 2025

Homeowner Jackson Wang said he is going to move his mortgage with a top Chinese bank to the provident housing fund, which would lower his interest rate to 3.2% from the current 4.8%.

From Reuters • Aug. 30, 2023

This, too, turned out to be provident for the driver, as the area in which he crashed has little to no cellphone reception.

From Washington Times • Jul. 26, 2023

Wickremesinghe said the government would safeguard local banks and employee provident funds it has borrowed from if need be.

From Seattle Times • Apr. 26, 2023

Housewives of a provident turn of mind filled their cupboards with treacle as a medicine for bad air, and with home-made plasters called Flos Unguentorum for the rheumatics and musk- balls to smell.

From "The Once and Future King" by T. H. White